You Appreciate Every Day - Dave Clark on Living with Parkinson's Disease

Dave Clark is determined to show that life does not end with a diagnosis as he continues to fight Parkinson’s disease in a positive way.

It would be easy for Clarke to become bitter about things after illness forced him to retire from his dream job as a presenter on Sky Sports, where he led the broadcasters’ coverage of darts and boxing for nearly two decades.

He can recall the exact time and date his life changed forever — 9:47 a.m. on January 26, 2011 — and it was just minutes after the doctor who performed the diagnosis asked him how big the mortgage was and how many years their kids were out.

Not surprisingly, Clark admits he was hit with a sense of doom, but he intended to do things differently.

After watching his father slowly succumb to a chronic neurological disease, he didn’t want to hide and continued performing for another 10 years before finally retiring during the coronavirus pandemic.

The 56-year-old, who has two children, is now enjoying his enforced retirement, having climbed the Serengeti River, swam off coral reefs in Australia and, most importantly, seen opening night for Bruce Springsteen on his world tour.

“The Boss” is Clark’s hero and it’s fitting that “No Surrender” is the song that gets him through his darkest times.

But he doesn’t allow himself to think the worst, and instead focuses on living each day to the fullest.

“Parkinson’s disease gives you a sense of time,” he told the Palestinian News Agency ahead of World Parkinson’s Day on April 11. “It is a chronic neurological disease that does not end well.”

“You are appreciated every single day. I thought I should set an example for my children and other people with Parkinson’s disease, because it’s not the end of a diagnosis.

“I’ve met amazing people, I’ve taken some trips I otherwise wouldn’t have, and I’ve done some amazing things.

“I had nightmares when I was sitting in the corner and couldn’t move, but I really try not to think about the end.

“I can clear my head, live in the moment, and only think about tomorrow. If I get up in the morning, it’s a good day, just enjoy every sunrise.

“Positivity is a huge thing. If you can prove that life doesn’t end when you have Parkinson’s disease, that’s a great gift to people.

“What happened to my father was tragic. I don’t want to see people go through this again.”

Clark, who needs to take medication every three hours to control his symptoms, hopes to find a cure but says it’s too late for him.

“I hope we can find a cure,” he said. But it robs you of your ability to speak, walk, and smile, and you become uncontrollable.

“It’s very dangerous, you end up not feeling well. That’s the whole point.

“They always say five years, but it’s been five years in the past 30. They’ll find a cure eventually, but it might be too late for me.

“Cancer charities receive 10 times more funding than neurological diseases and cancer survival rates have doubled in the last five years, while for us the outcome is still the same – not good.”

Meanwhile, he’s determined to help others, having raised over £500,000 for Parkinson’s UK, taking a sponsored tour from coast to coast and co-hosting the ‘2 Parkies in a Pod’ podcast where he talks about his experiences of living with the disease.

“The podcast has been a huge hit,” he said.

“People all over the world hear it and it’s a huge help. Ordinary people are talking about their condition like never before.”

Clark is proud when he reflects on his television career.

He was the face of darts, which has grown from a pub sport into one of the most popular sports in the country.

With his northern roots, deep knowledge and down-to-earth presence, he was a perfect fit when the sport took off.

“It was a strip club on the A13 in the Circus arena, where your feet stuck to the carpet,” he said.

“It was basically a pub sport and we made it like the party you want to be at. I loved the characters, just regular guys doing something cool.

“Most sports have a spike every 20 or 30 minutes, and darts have a spike every few seconds. We are blessed with so many personalities. Sports are about character and competition.

“I miss people, but nothing is forever. I had an amazing 22 years in television, and that’s a very long time.

“Longevity is a sign of success. You can be very disposable as a TV presenter. I had so much fun, just amazing. I am so proud.”

Having dedicated so much of his life to the job and taking it too far, it is perhaps understandable that he is no longer a regular viewer.

“Emma (Paton, new co-host) did really well, but I’m finding it hard to watch,” he said.

“It’s like going to a party and seeing your wife have a blast with another guy. You don’t want to see. I still have fun and watch the big games, but I’ve had my time.”